With her recent loony behavior, ALL MY CHILDREN's Laura du Pres is the last person who should be giving advice to anyone. But her portrayer, Laura Allen, isn't. In high school, the Washington native was drawn toward issues involving violence against women and women who commit crimes. "It was really interesting to me," the actress shares. "I started taking classes in deviant behavior, criminology and criminal justice courses."
"I Burnt Out"
After earning a degree in sociology with a criminology concentration from Wellesley College, Allen got her first post-college job at a Manhattan police precinct counseling domestic abuse victims. Dealing with such a disturbing subject on a daily basis, however, eventually took its toll on her. Besides carrying the emotional burden of such an intense job, Allen faced another obstacle. "[Domestic violence] is such a private issue. Getting inside the [victim's] home and [into their] business is a really hard thing to do," she explains. "It lasted about nine months before I burnt out."
"It's Frustrating"
Allen may no longer counsel for a living, but the wealth of knowledge she acquired during her short time doing so is still evident. For instance, although she learned that the best time to leave an abusive relationship is right away, she also came to realize through experience that only the woman being abused can make the step to flee a potentially fatal situation. "Even as a social worker or therapist, you don't know when it's the best time for her to leave an abusive situation. She generally knows that," she says. "But it's frustrating because you don't know if she's safe tonight."
Allen also knows why so many mistreated women stay in their relationships. "There is so much psychological abuse that it becomes a cyclical thing. A lot of women give their abuser the benefit of the doubt, and abusers have a way of apologizing that's really convincing. Most of them are super charming."
Getting The Word Out
After being a part of an organization that can literally save lives, Allen emphasizes that there is assistance, should the victim seek it. "I think there are a lot services out there, especially in NYC," she states. "But one of the hardest things is getting people aware of the help that is available to them."
– Colleen Humes
Laura Allen
